# The complete chloroplast genome of Taraxacum albidum (Asteraceae), a Japanese endemic dandelion

## TL;DR

This paper reports the complete chloroplast genome of Taraxacum albidum, a Japanese dandelion, and compares it to related species.

## Contribution

The study provides the first complete chloroplast genome sequence for T. albidum and identifies its closest relative.

## Key findings

- The chloroplast genome of T. albidum is 151,451 bp long with a typical quadripartite structure.
- It contains 113 unique genes and has a GC content of 37.7%.
- Phylogenetic analysis shows T. albidum is closely related to T. mongolicum with nearly identical chloroplast genomes.

## Abstract

Taraxacum albidum, a perennial herb of the Asteraceae family, exhibits both tetraploid and pentaploid in Japan. This study sequenced and characterized the complete chloroplast genome of T. albidum, revealing a 151,451 bp sequence with a typical quadripartite structure, comprising one large single-copy (LSC) region of 84,052 bp, one small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,541 bp, and two inverted repeat (IR) regions, IRa and IRb, each 24,429 bp in length. The chloroplast genome, excluding duplicates, contained 113 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA genes, and four ribosomal RNA genes. The GC content of this genome was 37.7%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that T. albidum is most closely related to T. mongolicum, with the chloroplast genome sequences being nearly identical, differing by only one nucleotide. These findings suggest that the maternal lineage of T. albidum likely originates from T. mongolicum or its closely related species.